Carnival Glass
Its so pretty with that rainbow of colours. Like a puddle at the service station (cars) which has had gasoline fall into it. I wondered about it and finally looked it up.
Carnival glass is moulded or pressed glass to which an iridescent surface shimmer has been applied. It has previously been referred to as aurora glass, dope glass, rainbow glass, taffeta glass, and disparagingly as 'poor man's Tiffany'. The name Carnival glass was adopted by collectors in the 1950s as items of it were sometimes given as prizes at carnivals, fetes, and fairgrounds. Purchased by households to brighten homes at a time when only the well-off could afford bright electric lighting, as its finish catches the light even in dark corners. Reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s.
Carnival glass gets its iridescent sheen from the application of metallic salts while the glass is still hot from the pressing. A wide range of colours and colour combinations were produced; scarcely used colours can command very high prices on the collector market.
Carnival glass originated as a glass called 'Iridill', produced beginning in 1908 by the Fenton Art Glass Company (founded in 1905). Inspired by the fine blown art glass of such makers as Tiffany and Steuben, but did not sell at premium prices. Iridill pieces were used as carnival prizes.
Iridill became popular and very profitable for Fenton, which produced many different types of items in this finish, in over 150 patterns. Fenton maintained their position as the largest manufacturer and were one of very few makers to use a red coloured glass base for their carnival glass. After interest waned in the late 1920s, Fenton stopped producing carnival glass for many years. In more recent years, due to a resurgence in interest, Fenton restarted production of carnival glass until its closure in 2007.
